from our Lay Leader
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
The pastor preached recently on the “Love” passage from 1 Corinthians 13. The first part of the chapter tell us the nature of love, things about love that we observe and easily accept. But the last few verses tell us things about love that we must accept on faith: love never fails, and it never ends. Verse 12 describes the nature of this faith, what is known as mysticism, a word not commonly used or understood these days.
Mysticism is seeing partly, dimly, as in a poor reflection from a fogged up mirror. Thus, a mystic “is someone who knows that they don’t know everything and, [at the same time,] trusts that they are being held by something much larger, wiser, and more loving than themselves” (Father Richard Rohr).
A mystic knows that Ultimate Reality is mystery. A mystic lives life in acceptance of mystery, never believing that he is able to see or understand the full reality that surrounds him. Living as a mystic is the best stress-reduction approach to life, because you never believe that you are or can ever be in control. A mystic gives up control and trusts the “Larger Presence,” who he knows loves him and has compassion for him. The mystic knows only one thing fully: “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13: 8) and that is the only thing we need to know.